This article is about the ancient region in the south of Europe. For other uses, see Illyria (disambiguation).
Historical region in Western Balkan, Southeast Europe
Illyria
Historical region
Western Balkan
In
Balkan Peninsula inhabited by numerous tribes of people collectively known as the Illyrians
.
The
Adriatic coast (modern Albania and Montenegro) and its hinterland, to a broader region stretching between the whole eastern Adriatic and the Danube.[8][5][9]
From about mid-1st century BC the term Illyricum was used by the Romans for the
Ancient Greek writers used the name "Illyrian" to describe peoples between the
Lissus (now Lezhë).[15] In the Roman period, Illyricum, a term which signified a broader region than Illyria, was used for the area between the Adriatic and Danube.[13][16]
History
The
prehistory of Illyria and the Illyrians is known from archaeological evidence. The Romans conquered the region in 168 BC in the aftermath of the Illyrian Wars
.
Kingdoms
Main articles:
List of rulers of Illyria
The earliest recorded Illyrian kingdom was that of the
Bardyllis of the Dardani and of Agron of the Ardiaei who created the last and best-known Illyrian kingdom.[21] Agron ruled over the Ardiaei and had extended his rule to other tribes as well.[22] As for the Dardanians, they always had separate domains from the rest of the Illyrians.[23]
The Illyrian kingdoms were composed of small areas within the region of Illyria. Only the
Docleatae
.
Roman and Byzantine rule
Main articles:
Scodra (in present-day Albania) in 168 BC and captured him, bringing him to Rome in 165 BC. Four client-republics were set up, which were in fact ruled by Rome. Later, the region was directly governed by Rome and organized as a province
, with Scodra as its capital.
The Roman province of Illyricum replaced the formerly independent kingdom of Illyria. It stretched from the
Split
in Croatia) functioned as its capital.
After subduing a troublesome
St. Basil. In the 5th century, the bishops of Illyria withdrew from communion with Rome, without attaching themselves to Constantinople, and remained for a time independent, but in 515, forty Illyrian bishops renewed their loyalty to Rome by declaring allegiance to Pope Hormisdas. The patriarchs of Constantinople succeeded in bringing Illyria under their jurisdiction in the 8th century.[28]
Legacy
Fictional "coat of arms of Illyria" in the 17th-century Fojnica Armorial.
The name Illyria only disappears from the historical record after the
Illyrian Armorials
", depicted fictional coats of arms of Illyria.
The name Illyria was revived by
Austro-Hungarian Empire
.
The Illyrian movement was a South Slavic cultural and political campaign by a group of young Croatian intellectuals during the first half of the 19th century, that led to Yugoslavism.
The television series Angel (1999 TV series) has a character named Illyria who is a main character for the back half of the final season, as well as a prominent figure in the comic spin-offs.
^ abHammond & Wilkes 2012, p. 726: "Illyrii, a large group of related *Indo-European tribes, who occupied in classical times the western side of the Balkan range from the head of the *Adriatic Sea to the hinterland of the gulf of Valona and extended northwards as far as the eastern *Alps and the Danube (see DANUVIUS) and eastwards into some districts beyond the Balkan range. The name was properly that of a small people between Scodra and the Mati river, and it was applied by the Greeks and later by the Romans to the other tribes with which they had regular contact. Thus Illyris meant to the Greeks the southern part of the area, that neighbouring *Mace-donia, *Epirus, and the Greek cities on the Adriatic coast and islands, and *Illyricum meant to the Romans the whole area from the eastern Alps to the gulf of Valona."
^Boardman 1982, p. 623: "Illyris, a term different from Illyria and Illyricum, was that part of Albania which lies north of the lower and middle Vijosë valley, and during most epochs it included much of the lakeland area."
^Hammond 1982, p. 261: "'Illyris', a geographical term which the Greeks applied to a territory neighbouring of their own, covers more or less the area of northern and central Albania down to the mouth of the Aous."
^Ivetic 2022, p. 44: "In 228, the Romans imposed a protectorate on the islands of Issa (Vis) and Corfu, and on the cities of Epidamnos (Durrës), Apollonia (present-day Pojani) and Oricum (Orikum) in the bay of Vlorë. This protectorate coincided with the use of the Roman concept of Illyricum."
^Dzino 2014, pp. 45–46: "The majority of authorities assume that this term expanded roughly from the region of the south-eastern Adriatic (modern Albania and Montenegro) with the hinterland, to the whole Roman Illyricum, between the eastern Adriatic and the Danube."
^Wilkes 1995, p. 208: "By the middle of the first century the Romans were using the name Illyricum for their Adriatic territories north of the Drin, south of which the province Macedonia began."
Hammond, N. G. L.; Wilkes, J. J. (2012). "Illyrii". In Hornblower, Simon; Spawforth, Antony; Eidinow, Esther (eds.). The Oxford Classical Dictionary. OUP Oxford. p. 726.
Media related to Illyria and Illyrians at Wikimedia Commons
